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As a founder, a lot must be going on the back of your mind. Managing teams, staying above the competition, updating your product/service, and what not.
But among all, the biggest problem lies in finding the right investor. Nearly 40 percent of startups can’t make it big due to no funding. Want to keep your business out of those 40 percent?
There’s no need to worry!
In today’s article, we will be helping you with our list of top-ranked investors in Kansas who fund food & beverage startups. Let’s get started!
Find Out the List of the Top 7 Startup Investors in Kansas Who Invest in Food & Beverage Startups
| Firm | Sectors | Funding Stages | Notable Investments | Investment Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AEA Investors | Tech, Food, Healthcare, Finance | Early, Seed | 24 Hour Fitness, Brand Networks, CPG International, Evans Food Group, Shoes for Crews | Up to $5M |
| Apollo Global Management | Finance, Tech, Industrial, E-Commerce, Food | Seed, Late | Host Hotels & Resorts, LendingClub, Lucid Motors, Medpace Holdings, Pactiv Evergreen, Realogy Holdings Corp | Up to $2M |
| TechAccel | IT, Life-Sciences, IoT, Robotics, Healthtech | Early, Seed | Agrivida, Benson Hill, Epicrop Technologies, Plastomics, RNAissance Ag | Up to $4M |
| Lightbank VC | Tech, Food | Early, Seed | Attain, Blueprint, Boom | $200K–$2M |
| Stray Dog Capital | Food Processing, Plant-Based Tech, Agtech | Early, Seed | Yo!, Nowadays, Chunk, Beyond Meat, Miyoko’s Creamery, Good Catch, Rebellyous Foods | $500K–$3M |
| Nueterra Capital | Healthcare IT, Telehealth, Medical Devices | Early, Mid-Stage | Surgery Partners, Ardent Health Services, Infusion Express | Up to several million |
| Silverhawk Capital Partners | Tech, Energy, Healthcare, Consumer Products | Early, Seed | Neptune Energy, Maxum Petroleum, Xpress Natural Gas | Around $1M |
Following is a list of some of the most active venture capital firms and private equity firms that invest in Kansas.
AEA Investors
- Contact: Contact Us | AEA Investors
- Website: AEA Investors | Leading Global Private Investment Firm
- Focused Sectors: Tech, Food, Healthcare, and Finance
- Funding Stages: Early and Seed
- Notable Investments: 24 Hour Fitness, Brand Networks, CPG International, Evans Food Group, and Shoes for Crews
- Total Investments: 600+
Founded in 1968 by the Rockefeller, Mellon, and Harriman families, AEA Investors is a leading private investment firm. The firm was founded to manage private equity investments for industrial families, prominent business leaders, and institutional investors.
When investing in Kansas-based food startups, AEA Investors typically target companies with strong management teams, stable cash flows, and opportunities for growth. They prefer businesses with an enterprise value ranging from $250 million to $2.5 billion.
The investment range of AEA Investors can range up to $5M.
Apollo Global Management
- Contact: Contact Us | Apollo Global Management
- Website: Home | Apollo Global Management
- Focused Sectors: Finance, Tech, Industrial, E-Commerce, and Food
- Funding Stages: Seed and Late
- Notable Investments: Host Hotels & Resorts, LendingClub, Lucid Motors, Medpace Holdings, Pactiv Evergreen, Realogy Holdings Corp
- Total Investments: 980+
Apollo Global Management is one of the biggest asset management firms in the world.
Since its inception, Apollo has funded around 1,000 startups. The network usually focuses on the tech and real estate sector but recently, they have also funded startups with unique ideas in the food sector. The network targets larger, seed-staged startups rather than businesses at the early-growth stages.
The investment range of Apollo Global Management can range up to $2M.
TechAccel
- Contact: info@techaccel.net
- Website: Tech Accel – Tech Accel Website
- Focused Sectors: Information Technology, Life-Sciences, Internet of Things, Robotics, Healthtech
- Funding Stages: Early and Seed
- Present in: Overland Park, KS
- Notable Investments: Agrivida, Benson Hill, Epicrop Technologies, Plastomics, and RNAissance Ag
Founded in 2014, TechAccel is a venture development organization based in Kansas City, Missouri. The company was co-founded by Michael Helmstetter, a former research executive with extensive experience in agricultural and life sciences. TechAccel specializes in the intersection of agriculture, animal health, and food technology, with a mission to accelerate scientific breakthroughs into market-ready solutions.
Since its inception, TechAccel has funded over 30 startups and research initiatives, focusing on companies that have the potential to disrupt and innovate within the tech sectors. The firm also has many successful exits, where startups in their portfolio were acquired by market giants.
The investment range of TechAccel can go up to $4M.
Lightbank VC
- Contact: info@lightbank.com
- Website: lightbank
- Focused Sectors: Tech and Food
- Funding Stages: Early and Seed
- Notable Investments: Attain, Blueprint, and Boom
- Total Investments: 150+
Founded in 2010 by Eric Lefkofsky and Brad Keywell, Lightbank is a venture capital firm based in Chicago. The founders, who were also behind successful ventures like Groupon, established Lightbank to provide both capital and hands-on support to early-stage technology startups. They aimed to create a unique investment firm that would not only fund startups but also actively contribute to their growth through strategic guidance.
Over the years, Lightbank has funded over 100 startups, primarily focusing on technology-driven companies in sectors such as software, e-commerce, and digital media. The investors are also targeting early-stage food startups that are solving the modern problems in the Agtech and cleantech sectors.
Other than their investment activities, Lightbank also participates in fundraisers and incubators to find and invest in high-growth companies. The investment range of Lightbank lies between $200,000 to $2M.
Stray Dog Capital
- Contact: Contact - Stray Dog Capital
- Website: Home - Stray Dog Capital
- Focused Sectors: Food Processing Technology, Food Safety, Food Supply Chain, Plant-Based Beverage Technology, Bioreactor, Cellular Agriculture Ingredient Development, Cellular Agriculture Regulatory Affairs, Food Distribution and Logistics, Food Retail, Food Service, Beverage Production and Distribution, Food Science and Research, Food Safety and Quality Control, Food Packaging and Sustainability.
- Funding Stages: Early and Seed
- Present in: Leawood, KS
- Notable Investments: Yo!, Nowadays, Chunk, Beyond Meat, Miyoko’s Creamery, Good Catch, and Rebellyous Foods
Funding startups for more than a decade, Stray Dog Capital is a venture capital firm dedicated to funding early-stage startups that focus on transforming the food system.
When investing in businesses, Stray Dog Capital focuses on companies that offer innovative solutions within the food and beverage sector utilizing modern tech. They prefer startups with strong leadership teams, scalable business models, and the potential for significant impact, with at least 4x ROI.
Since its founding, Stray Dog Capital has funded over 40 startups and usually invests in 3-4 companies every year. They have a dedicated panel of mentors who are focused on investing in high-growth startup ideas. The investment range can range between $500,000 to $3M.
Nueterra Capital
- Contact: info@nueterracapital.com
- Website: Homepage - Nueterra Capital
- Focused Sectors: Healthcare IT, Telehealth, Medical Devices, Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology, Medical Imaging, Dental Care, Ophthalmology, Mental Health, Orthopedics
- Funding Stages: Early and Mid-Stage
- Present in: Kansas
- Notable Investments: Surgery Partners, Ardent Health Services, and Infusion Express
Nueterra Capital was founded in 1997 and is a PE/VC firm. Neuterra Capital was established by Daniel R. Tasset, who has a deep background in the healthcare industry. With headquarters in Leawood, Neuterra Capital usually aims to invest in early or seed-stage startups.
The investors usually focus on companies that demonstrate significant potential for growth and innovation within the healthcare industry.
Once invested, Neuterra Capital also provides its portfolio companies with expert mentorship programs. The network arranges many extra startup events to guide their portfolio companies, especially when things don't go in the right direction.
The investment range of Neuterra Capital can range up to several million dollars.
Silverhawk Capital Partners
- Contact: Contact - (silverhawkcapitalpartners.com)
- Website: Home - (silverhawkcapitalpartners.com)
- Focused Sectors: Tech, Energy, Healthcare, and Consumer Products
- Funding Stages: Early and Seed
- Notable Investments: Neptune Energy, Maxum Petroleum, and Xpress Natural Gas
- Total Investments: 80+
Founded in 2005, Silverhawk Capital Partners is a private equity firm that specializes in investing in middle-market companies. Over the past 2 decades, Silverhawk Capital Partners has funded numerous companies across various sectors, with a particular focus on energy, industrial, and business services.
The investors from SCP focus on startups with enterprise values between $50 million and $300 million. The firm prefers to invest in companies with strong management teams, stable cash flows, and significant growth potential.
The investment range of Silverhawk Capital Partners is around $1M.
Wrap-Up:
To sum up, the food startup sector in Kansas is experiencing significant growth, driven by innovation and a supportive ecosystem. Over the past few years, Kansas-based food startups have secured decent funding, with investments exceeding $100 million in total.
The food sector of Kansas still has huge growth potential. There are a lot of problems yet to be solved and many solutions that can be offered. The only thing this startup scene needs is a well-determined entrepreneur who can make it big in this startup landscape!